Geoff and myself have both recently purchased the official Nexus 5 Bumper Case so we have decided to collaborate on this one and provide our first impressions.
The Nexus 5 Bumper Case is a top quality case that provides plenty of protection for your brand new Nexus 5. Right from the start you can tell that this is an official product. The device fits snugly with no unwanted movement.
The case is made of a type of hard rubberised plastic, it has a bit of flex in it which aids in being able to put your phone in and remove it when you want to but it remains snuggly inside at all times but you wouldn’t want to flex it too much. It feels a bit like the Nexus 5 back but with a less ‘grippy’ feel to it heading more towards plastic.
One of the things that bugs me about the design of the Nexus 5 is the way the camera sticks out the back and stops the phone from sitting flat on a desk and this case fixes this problem and provides extra protection for the camera lens.
While the case seems to provide plenty of protection it does add quite a bit of bulk to the phone and completely changes the way it feels in your hands. Having the buttons covered seems like a bit of a mistake and makes them much harder to press. I haven’t had any problems with the buttons not working though so this has more to do with the lack of feedback. You don’t get that nice click that you do without the case on.
Finally, choice of colours. I decided on the bright red just for something different. I really like the idea of having a phone that is just that bit different and this case fits that description a little bit too well for my liking. I don’t know that bright red is the best description as it is closer to fluorescent orange.
Geoff went for the bright yellow and found that the bright yellow case also has the fluorescent look that makes you feel like you’re working in an OH&S zone.
Shipping does take a bit longer than normall with both cases taking almost 2 weeks to get to get to us. We both ordered our cases as soon as they were made available on the Play Store but there are a couple of shipping options, so if you can’t wait that long you will be paying that little bit extra.
While I do feel that this is a very good case, it isn’t for everyone and unfortunately for me, I fit into that category. I like the feel of the Nexus 5 and this case ruins that for me, although I don’t know of any case that I would be happy with. If you are not a case kind of person, the official Nexus 5 Bumper Case is not going to change your mind. If you don’t having a case on your phone and you want a top notch case, then this may be worth considering, but at $39.95 + shipping ($4.50 or $10.95 depending on how long you want to wait) this isn’t the cheapest option around.
Is anyone noticing that these cases attract a lot of dirt and grime??? I’ve got the (was) bright red case
I got the bright red one too. As you say, calling it bright red is a serious stretch!
It’s really well made but does add too much bulk to the phone and for $40+shipping is a bit overpriced.
Sounds reasonable. Do cases like this inhibit wireless charging?
Ended up with a Spigen Case for about $15. Well worth it. nice, lightweight and a clear back to see the Nexus logo through.
I got the Rearth version (fusion).
Does yours get dust in the back? Mine has a gap at the headphones and lets stuff in…
Good to hear you’re not sold on it. I’m leaning toward just having a pouch which phone will be in only in my pocket, to keep key scratches off.
The rest of the time I want to feel it in my hand.
I bought a handmade leather wallet from Etsy for my Nexus 4 last year. A 5″ phone slips in one side – whilst three cards and paper money (not that I carry physical money anymore) fits on the other side. My naked Nexus 5 fits perfectly. Cost $100 delivered from Canada, but I’ll be using the wallet for years to come – as long as I don’t get a phone who’s physical size is much larger than the N4/N5. Best of both worlds I reckon – protection when carried (and only need to carry one item) – and the naked… Read more »